Zow
Footballguy
I believe the Vikings like Jones as a backup. Can’t really see cousins going there even with the good will the team and cousins share together.
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QB Kirk Cousins, ATL (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter pizzatyme
- Start date
Long Ball Larry
Footballguy
Going back to the Vikings would be kind of crazy
I should have probably provided reasons for each of these.
Here is my thought process.
Wherever he goes, for once in his career-not that there is any shame in it, it won't be about money. I think we are looking straight at another Russell Wilson type contract. League minimum type stuff.
So for this to makes sense for the Vikings that has to start with not resigning Darnold. But if they don't resign Darnold this becomes intriguing to me. He'd be an ideal vet complement/backup to rookie/recovering McCarthy and he'll be a lot cheaper contractually then Daniel Jones.
For Kirk the Vikings would check off several boxes, most of them obvious, such as familiarity, good environment, place his family would be comfortable moving back, contender,etc,etc.. From what I've always understood their relationship did not end on negative terms. I've heard Cousins in interviews speak fondly of KOC and how honest and upfront he always was with him during the process.
The biggest negative I could come up is Kirk could land an opening giving him a better chance to start the whole season, not want to spend another season with a high first round rookie looking over his shoulder.
Donnybrook
Footballguy
I think there will be less interest in Cousins than most people expect especially with all the Dead cap that teams will be occurring if they go away from their incumbent starters. I will predict that he will be waiting until late September 2025 for someone to match his contract demands. He may just fade into retirement Ala Ryan Tannehill.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Donnybrook
Footballguy
I don't think the Browns are a realistic option. Dehaun Watson's cap number if released or traded below from Spotrac
Best case scenario is a post June 1st trade.
Best case scenario is a post June 1st trade.
Long Ball Larry
Footballguy
But couldn’t they sign him for like $2 million and next year and then he still gets his money from the falcons, a la Russell Wilson?
Cousins would be a backup/chance to start, from what I've read this is going to be a Russ situation where team is not going to have to pay much.
ETA: looks like above poster said essentially same thing...
Zow
Footballguy
I recognize I quoted you last but I actually wasn’t directly responding to you. Bass n brew’s comment is the one I was referencing.
Donnybrook
Footballguy
I guess he could but I don't think Cousins really helps the Browns all that much.
DirtyCashDylan
Footballguy
He was a solid backup qb for me for many years but I'm about to drop him in 12 team 1QB dynasty for some random young RB off the waiver going into the offseason.
DirtyCashDylan
Footballguy
you wanna fight bro?
drummer
Footballguy
Sorry man, someone had to say it.
DirtyCashDylan
Footballguy
I guess. Just giving my anecdotal point of view which is what most of this board consists of.
in other words, he's done in my type of league. in my eyes.
Superflex, he's worth hanging on to.
MAC_32
Footballguy
Cap space is not a problem for the Browns. Kirk's noodle arm and inability to move though...
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
No matter how anyone feels about his quarterback play, guy is a pro’s pro and seemingly a heck of a human being.
Dizzy
Footballguy
No matter how anyone feels about his quarterback play, guy is a pro’s pro and seemingly a heck of a human being.
Yeah, it seems to be well documented that Kirk Cousins is a good dude and teammate.
Sadly, I do not see him returning to prior form from that Achilles injury.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
He’s got a 2026 bonus for $10M that hits if he’s on the roster 3/17/25.
zamboni
Footballguy
Can’t see that happening. Maybe the Falcons do him a solid and release him soon to give him a jump on free agency.
if they think hes gonna negotiate some of his guaranteed money they are sorely mistaken. Cousins is all about the cash. he would rather sit and get paid than give up some of that money.
Honestly I'm losing my confidence a little on being so cocksure that Atlanta would cut him.
If you remove human emotions, locker room impact, that sort of thing, and just keep it a football decision I can't honestly see why not keeping him is not easily the best the call. Now these are real things to deal, the human emotion part of it, but it's not even a big gamble to try. And if I'm Atlanta what I'll keep driving home to Kirk if he's moping or unhappy is that we are sorry things went the way they did, but we paid you well,and if you are unhappy here and want to play with someone else then waive your no trade clause.
As to why it makes perfect football sense.
Everything in his pay this year is a sunk cost. Keeping him means you are sinking $10M into next years cap. That's a small price to pay for the highest quality of backup QB's, especially when you starter is inexperienced and cheap in his own right. Also, they'd still hold the cards on Cousins head next year if they wanted to.
Just looking at some contracts last year. Minshew was more bridge/backup but he got 2/25. Tyrod Taylor was signed to be a pure backup and he got 2/12. So $12.5 and $6m a year for those two on 24 and 25 caps while I assume Cousins $10 would hit 2026 and maybe can be spread out to 2027.
So in pure football sense, keeping him is ideal. How to deal with your backup QB not wanting to be there is not so easy to overcome and that's where cutting him becomes the viable option, I think more so then the money.
LIke I said earlier I was really certain he'd be cut but now I'm less so. What I do know is if I was Atlanta I would not cut him. I'd keep playing hardball and put the ball in Kirks court with again letting him know if he wants out he can totally remove his no trade clause, let him know what you expect back in a trade and allow him to talk to other teams.
I just no longer have any confidence how this will go.
TheDirtyWord
Footballguy
I really think the Falcons are playing this wrong.
I was never much of a fan of the Cousins signing...but I liked the drafting of Penix. However, the human dynamic reared it's head in season when a clearly more injured than he let on Cousins, eschewed the medical table and kept marching on out there and threw 8 picks and no TD's in 4 games. Why? Did he feel like if he took a couple of games to get well, he'd get Wally Pipp'ed? Who knows. But the dynamic clearly existed.
The Falcons positioned the drafting of Penix as following the GB model; Favre/Rodgers & Rodgers/Love...but the difference was Cousins 1) wasn't a franchise legend and 2) had been there but 6 weeks. To the degree he ever felt comfortable as QB1, like it was his team, last year...I don't know. But while his month+ of play after a great 9 games was indeed putrid, it was still just a month+.
The reality is that for as much as Penix flashed in his 3-game audition, I don't even know if he's the best QB on the roster if Cousins, a fully healthy Cousins, is on it. And after all, the original plan seemed to be to have Cousins start 2024/2025...that's when his guarantees were.
While scenarios that could have Cousins back on the field aren't necessarily likely, they are plausible. NFL seasons are ridiculously unpredictable. So I think the Falcons are courting another 'situation' if their stance is 'well, we're paying him any way, let's just have him be QB2 until someone trades for him'.
And for what? What's the upside in terms of trade compensation coming back?
Geno Smith was just acquired for a 3rd round pick. He's 2 years younger without the questions about his ability to play. So the Falcons are going through this theatre for a Day 3 pick?
Obviously, the doing a solid for Cousins window has passed since many teams needing a QB have moved on. The teams needing one now? NYG, PIT, CLE...Rodgers takes one of those out of play. And there are plenty of FA QB's out there to be a bridge.
To me...I think it's yet another bumbling move by a franchise whose come to be defined by them.
Posted this in FA thread but Atlanta is keeping him and it's really a no brainer.
Their only consideration really is Kirk having an attitude over it all and he's probably way to professional for all that and as I said a few posts up and as I said a few posts up if he's that unhappy he can always ask for a trade and waive his no trade clause facilitate it.
The other consideration was the the $10m they committed for 2026 but I just heard that has 100% offsets so decent chance that goes completely away.
This is great news for Atlanta's skill position players, nice to know if the starting QB goes down everything is not going to crumble to the ground.
Their only consideration really is Kirk having an attitude over it all and he's probably way to professional for all that and as I said a few posts up and as I said a few posts up if he's that unhappy he can always ask for a trade and waive his no trade clause facilitate it.
The other consideration was the the $10m they committed for 2026 but I just heard that has 100% offsets so decent chance that goes completely away.
This is great news for Atlanta's skill position players, nice to know if the starting QB goes down everything is not going to crumble to the ground.
I think the major issue is having a young QB looking over his shoulder at a former pro bowler who makes a lot more money than he does.
Like if emotions and feelings didn't exist, keeping Cousins makes all the sense on the world. But they do, and I think keeping Cousins makes it harder for Penix, because its not some veteran who clearly signed on to be the backup, like say Mariota. Its a guy who thinks he should be starting. I think Indy will have this same issue, though in that case the older player probably is actually the better QB.
I see the money is a non-issue here and in Indy and don't at all get comparing a slotted rookie wage to what it takes to sign a vet. I don't think it's rubbing Penix or AR the wrong way one little iota or has anything to do with how teams view them or their standing in the lockerroom. Both teams want the young QB's to run away with the job, want them both to be the future, Indy just need AR to improve or he won't give them any choice.
The looking over the shoulder could be an issue but I'd be surprised if it was, it's not like replacing a vet who had success or had been around the team long so that the lockerroom is divided. I think Penix knows it's his team and his leash is super long.
eighsse2
Footballguy
That was intentional, right?
Donnybrook
Footballguy
I don't think anyone (I know I'm not) is making that argument.
Ok but what it sounds like to me.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
Surprised they kept him, but I guess they kind of had to. The entire point of drafting a player like Penix is being able to operate the way the Vikings are.
Falcons are losing good players.
Falcons are losing good players.
No one seems to remember Penix was a supposed bad pick. There can't be this premise of why is Kirk still there without acknowledging that was a clever pick.
Penix learned just fine with Kirk in the room. He's possibly the best backup in the league.
They went on a spending spree last year and the year before and two years now many think they have a deep team good roster but just haven't put it together to make a run.
Bad teams that are desperate at QB cut the QB or renegotiate and push the money off so that it's easier to build now although they know it'll bite them later. It's not wrong to just stick with the plan for now. Cousins cap hit was gonna hurt so just leave it alone.
There's good young talent that'll need to be re-signed and the desire to have $ for free agent additions.
I think Fontenot is doing fine. I like a lot of their players and for a new guy to be savvy here, I'm impressed.
Elite and falsely elite QBs make too much to be traded nowadays. A team needs to have way too much free cap space. Remember ooh and ahh that Lamar Jackson could be available in trade but there were only like six teams that could possibly afford him? In a similar fashion there aren't many suitors for Kirk's contract
Penix learned just fine with Kirk in the room. He's possibly the best backup in the league.
They went on a spending spree last year and the year before and two years now many think they have a deep team good roster but just haven't put it together to make a run.
Bad teams that are desperate at QB cut the QB or renegotiate and push the money off so that it's easier to build now although they know it'll bite them later. It's not wrong to just stick with the plan for now. Cousins cap hit was gonna hurt so just leave it alone.
There's good young talent that'll need to be re-signed and the desire to have $ for free agent additions.
I think Fontenot is doing fine. I like a lot of their players and for a new guy to be savvy here, I'm impressed.
Elite and falsely elite QBs make too much to be traded nowadays. A team needs to have way too much free cap space. Remember ooh and ahh that Lamar Jackson could be available in trade but there were only like six teams that could possibly afford him? In a similar fashion there aren't many suitors for Kirk's contract
TheDirtyWord
Footballguy
You're probably alot more bullish on Fontenot's performance than I am...whether the Penix pick was clever or not, the motion was a 1+1=1 strategy.
I don't see much talent on the defensive side of the ball outside Bates/Terrell/Ellis...and in 4 years, Fontenot has yet to draft an impactful defensive player. Yes, he's used all his first rounders on offense...but still. How much better is the Falcons run game than TB/CAR because they drafted Bijan (versus Jalen Carter or Christian Gonzalez)? His one Day 3 success overall, he just allowed to sign with CHI (Drew Dalman).
Ultimately, I don't see too many, if any, positive outcomes of having Cousins truly be QB2 in 2025. If this is now Penix's team...then actions need to dictate that. I think of Sean Payton pretty much telling Russell Wilson to GTFO of his building, damned the salary cap ramifications. DEN has more than survived and they didn't even have NIx. To be fair, the Falcons have plenty of time prior to training camp to jettison Cousins from the roster...but I certainly can't see a team helping to solve the problem the Falcons created for themselves here.
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Donnybrook
Footballguy
I don't think most honest people would call Penix a bad pick. Just a bad pick under the circumstances.
You either let a 25 year old rookie stagnate on the bench or you bench the veteran that you have signed to a long term guaranteed contract. Kirk as christian as he is - is always looking out for himself.
Fontenot is not doing a fine job - they are missing out on key free agents including their own. Kwesi had the guts to say Kirk will sign you but only on our terms not yours.
You either let a 25 year old rookie stagnate on the bench or you bench the veteran that you have signed to a long term guaranteed contract. Kirk as christian as he is - is always looking out for himself.
Fontenot is not doing a fine job - they are missing out on key free agents including their own. Kwesi had the guts to say Kirk will sign you but only on our terms not yours.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
This team is a clown show and it starts with having an owner who doesn’t know what he’s doing.
Probably because I don't remember it like you do.
I was not high on Penix but had no issue with them picking him at 8. Did not see anyone who had an issue with picking him. The issue was the process and doing so after they signed Kirk. So even if Penix works out they wildly misspent $100M. I'm not giving them any kudos for the way they handled that situation and only way they can save the disaster of their process is if they can find someone to trade for Kirk and take some of that salary off their hands.
You have wildy different standards then me. In today's NFL you can change entire rosters in 2-3 years, rebuilds should not take this long. Despite playing in one of the sorriest divisions in the league since he arrived he's had 4 losing seasons each year and is already on coach 2. I'd say I'm the opposite of impressed.
You're right. No one questioned the pick at all. No one on TV, radio, newspapers, X, or this board.
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